Berger bound over, bond continued at $250,000

Published: October 15, 2003 8:00PM

The man accused of shooting and killing 35-year-old Charles Touchstone at the northern Guernsey County home they shared with two women was back in Cambridge Municipal Court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

William Berger, 38, of 74532 Johnson Run Road, who has been charged with one count of murder, a first-degree felony, with a firearm specification, had his case bound over to the jurisdiction of the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court.

The next step for prosecutors will reportedly be to present the case against Berger to a Common Pleas Court grand jury. The next scheduled grand jury session is Oct. 29.

Berger remained incarcerated in the Guernsey County jail on a $250,000 bond previously set by Municipal Court Judge John Mark Nicholson.

Authorities believe Berger shot Touchstone once in the head on Oct. 7 following an early morning dispute at the Johnson Run Road residence. Authorities received five emergency 911 calls from the home in approximately 90 minutes leading up to the shooting.

Sheriffs deputies had responded to the residence following a call at 4:22 a.m., but Berger and Connie Linville, a resident of the home, reportedly assured them the man allegedly causing trouble later identified as Touchstone had left the residence.

At 5:59 a.m., a sheriffs dispatcher received a call from a man identifying himself as Berger, who reported he had shot him, according to emergency 911 logs.

Touchstones body was reportedly found in an upstairs bedroom.

An emergency crew from Tri-County EMS was dispatched to the residence, along with deputies, but Touchstone was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was conducted at the Licking County Coroners Office.

Authorities have said additional shots were fired inside the home, but they have not disclosed how many shots. The weapon used, which was reportedly recovered at the scene, was a .25-caliber hand gun.

If he is indicted by a grand jury, Berger would next appear in common pleas court for an arraignment hearing.

Berger has previously appeared in the Common Pleas Court on a 1997 charge for driving while under the influence, but the charge was later reduced to a first-degree misdemeanor.